In a recent blog, I suggested D. A. King refrain from using a slur to describe undocumented workers, politely explaining that many Latinos and Hispanics who legally reside and vote in the U.S.regard this characterization as highly offensive. As a seasoned public relations counselor, I also recommended Mr. King elevate his arguments and steer clear of attacking individuals and groups with which he disagrees. I pointed out to Mr. King that such an approach would make his arguments more appealing to those of us who are otherwise open to hearing him out.

I had in mind the Founding Fathers who came from various walks of life with many conflicting points of view. Some opposed slavery while others embraced it, for example. But they all understood that the 13 states would not become united unless they disagreed agreeably, as Thomas Jefferson might have said.

What a waste of pixels. Mr. King isn't interested in reason or being agreeable. To him, suggestions like mine are "mindless," the product of "leftist teach-ins" I have never attended and La Raza writings I have never read.

Evidently Mr. King is more comfortable down there on the low road with his VDARE colleagues. He responded to my well-mannered suggestions with a smug, condescending justification of his brand of racial prejudice. Yes, Mr. King, it's racial. You can stop pretending now. Along with Jan Brewer and Joe Arpaio, you've simply found a way to camouflage your bias against Latinos and Hispanics by wrapping yourself in the American flag and crying "our laws are being broken!". And like a lot of demagogues you're even somewhat famous hereabouts, where it's not terribly difficult to find other bigoted bullies who'll line up with you.

Haven't we seen this movie before? It used to be "uppity Negros" who "didn't know their place" in the old Jim Crow era; burning Freedom Rider buses, poll taxes, and Bull Connor's attack dogs. Now it's undocumented workers, most of whom find themselves employed and often exploited by American business owners, doing the dirty jobs none of us want to do: Cleaning toilets, washing dishes, gutting chickens, digging holes. And D.A. King adds to their misery.

Are they here illegally? Of course. Is there a more humane and workable solution to enforcing our immigration laws than rounding up all 11 or 12 million undocumented workers and deporting them? Most likely. But it will require reason and agreeable dialogue to find the answer.

Foley, please let us hear how you will handle the fact that the Supreme Court uses the term illegal alien and what racists they are for doing so? As well as the border patrol? Go ahead, call me some names too.

frogbreath

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May 03, 2012

"If Hispanics and Latinos here legally regard "illegal alien" as a slur, why use it if you're trying to win an argument? "

The people I know and the material I have read indicates that only illegal aliens do not like the term. Sort of like a thief being called a mis-appropriater.

"Stay on the high road, win friends and disarm opponents."

Follow your own advice. You contradict yourself on a regular basis.

I shall call you disingenuous since people like you prefer that over prevaricator or race baiter.

frogbreath

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May 03, 2012

Foley-

as a disciple of Karl Marx,you should stop attacking D A King and instead press your point to the few disciples you have who agree that the dictionary should be changed to accommodate your position in changing the meaning of words.

However, you are in a tizzy, because as an Alinsky student, you must attack and use ridicule since it is the hardest to defend against.

My, my what a pickle you are in.

PS What a shame it is in another article that you did not seem to know that Allen West is a black man. That's called and Alinsky backfire.

Devlin Adams

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May 01, 2012

No sir! You miss the point. I deal, daily, with a great many legal immigrants, as well as naturalized citizens, from all over the world. Never have I heard of one being offended by the term "illegal aliens" when it is used to denote those who spit in the faces of the law abiding immigrants. In fact, some of them use terms which are much more derogatory than that.

BTW, for your enlightenment, "Illegal immigrant/alien" is not a RACE. The issue has never been about race. Trying to pin the racist label on D.A. King has lowered you in my opinion and I am sure in the opinions of many of your readers. I know a lot of intelligent people who disagree with his stand on this issue, but not a one of them hs ever stooped so low as to call him a racist, as you are obviously intimating.

Please lay off the character assassination and discuss the issues.

James Americano

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May 01, 2012

What does it say about this Foley guy that he feels that he must post "you are an SPLC hater" comments on his own blog? Won't the paper allow him to write more? For most of us, a negative comment from Foley - and the SPLC - is a net positive.

Robert Johnson

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May 01, 2012

Oh yes, totally reasonable to attack King because he can see that illegal is illegal. Fold you tent guys. Justice Sotomayor has shown you the way. When can we expect the "reasonable and articulate" attack on her for saying illegal alien seven times in the Supreme Court?

What?

EMBuckner

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May 01, 2012

Mr. Foley is, as usual, articulate and reasonable. But a large body of evidence suggests that arguing with or criticizing D. A. King is a complete waste of energy and time. Nuances, complexity, and justice are beyond his poor power to comprehend.

Thanks, Mr. Foley.

Kevin Foley

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May 01, 2012

Mr. Adams - You and Mr. King completely miss the point. If Hispanics and Latinos here legally regard "illegal alien" as a slur, why use it if you're trying to win an argument? Stay on the high road, win friends and disarm opponents.

Speaking of "inflammatory and shameless race-baiting" pay a visit as I did to the VDARE and SPLC web pages and learn more about D.A. King and what he really stands for. I couldn't figure out why Mr. King had it in for the SPLC. Now I get it.

I suspect if the undocumented workers he's in a tizzy about were blue-eyed blonde people from Denmark, D.A. King and his like-minded disciples would be silent.

Devlin Adams

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May 01, 2012

Hey, Kevin, chew on this one for a while.

"Considering the ongoing, inflammatory and shameless race-baiting struggle by the illegal alien lobby to stop the use of the legally correct and far-too-accurate term “illegal alien” to describe illegal aliens, pro-enforcement Americans are finding it quite difficult to disguise their smirks at the fact that in last-week’s 1-hour, 20-minute Supreme Court hearing on the Obama/Mexico/ACLU/La Raza suit against Arizona’s 2010 illegal immigration/public safety law, the term “illegal alien” was used 11 times. And each of those uses was by one of the justices. And using it seven times was the self-described “wise Latina” Justice, Sonia Sotomayor."

Seems to me if the term "illegal alien" is a satisfactory apellation for these people, in the eyes of the Supremen Court Justices, then it should be good enough for me, D.A. King and everybody else, including Kevin Foley.

Of course, if you don't agree, feel free to write the Justices, particularly Justice Sotomayer, the most frequent user, and point out the error of their ways. Don't be suprised if they show the same lack of concern for your ravings as the rest of the sane people.

Thank you!

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April 30, 2012

Thank you Mr. Foley!

Your last sentence couldn't be more true. Reason and dialogue will lead to the answer.

Please keep it up!!

Devlin Adams

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April 30, 2012

Now, the real Foley comes out. If you don;t agree with him you are uncivil, ignorant and steeped in hate.

Pretty narrow-minded Mr. Foley.

Kevin Foley

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April 30, 2012

Marie, Dickie & Dave - As D.A. King disciples you each make my point for me; uncivil discourse steeped in hate and ignorance.

Marie in Marietta

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April 29, 2012

I want to get this right: Foley is now mad that D.A. King showed us how ridiculous Foley's advice was that King stop saying illegal alien so he is now calling King a racist? This is a PR expert? This is an example of progressive intellect?

My stars.

Is this the best the newspaper can do for a blogger?

Dickey B Smyrna

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April 29, 2012

I can't wait to see if Mr. King replies to this goof again. Now I am wondering if Kevin Foley even understands BASIC ideas and defintions...much less the fact that illegal alien means illegal alien. He seems to be trying to use attacks on D.A. King to make himself look smart. It isn't working.

"Bully pulpit" comes from the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt, who observed that the White House was a bully pulpit. For Roosevelt, "bully" was an adjective meaning "excellent" or "first-rate" -- not the noun "bully" ("a blustering browbeating person") that's so common today. Roosevelt understood the modern presidency's power of persuasion and recognized that it gave the incumbent the opportunity to exhort, instruct, or inspire. He took full advantage of his bully pulpit, speaking out about the danger of monopolies, the nation's growing role as a world power, and other issues important to him. Since the 1970s, "bully pulpit" has been used as a term for an office -- especially a political office -- that provides one with the opportunity to share one's views.

Foley, you may want to think about quitting while you are possibly able to still hide your total ignorance and anger. My wife says you will soon just start screaming "RACISM" at everything that isn't "progressive". You seem the type.

Dave Gorak

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April 29, 2012

In Foley's world, enforcing immigration laws that are aimed at protecting American jobs and our national sovereignty is now synonymous with "pushing hate."

And they say "Alice in Wonderland" is a classic example of literary nonsense.

Devlin Adams

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April 28, 2012

Sorry, Mr. Foley, but that tactic won't get it. Equating the expectation that people will obey the law with hate, is just too thin

By the way, in a one hour and twenty minute session of the Supreme Court, the term "illegal immigrant" was used over 20 times, BY THE JUSTICES, to characterize these people. Seems to me if it is correct in the supreme court, it can be pretty much assumed to be okay everywhere else.

Or, maybe you could write to the Supreme Court Justices and point out the error of thier ways. You know, give them the benefit of your unsolicited advice. I am sure they would love to hear from you.

Kevin Foley

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April 28, 2012

Mr. Johnson, you resort to the same nonsensical response I got from Mr. King instead of addressing the substance of my post. You and Mr. Adams seem to to believe that one wins an argument by name calling and smug condescension. Obviously you watch/listen to too much far right "commentary."

Here's the reality: Most reasonable people tune out that garbage. They wonder why people like Mr. King (or Coulter, or Hannity, or Limbaugh) think it's necessary to vilify, belittle and disparage those with whom they disagree. It's because they don't have a reasonable argument to begin with.

Mary Grabar

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April 28, 2012

Which part of "illegal" don't you understand? I think this post would make a good exercise for my freshman composition students in finding logical fallacies. This is full of ad hominem attacks, guilt by association, red herrings, slippery slope, etc. Mr. Seasoned Public Relations Counselor, how do you KNOW it's "racial"? In addition to being a "seasoned public relations," you seem to think you're a mind reader. Lay off the hot pepper.

Robert Johnson

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April 28, 2012

This is hard to accept but incerdibly amusing to see: Foley got a response from D.A. King that should have A)made him see that the term illegal alien to describe illegal aliens is legal and accurateB)Showed anyone who read both blogs(don't miss King's blog reply to this guy) that Foley is little league both in knowledge, thought process and presentation.

As a black man, I can say that Foley is now regarded as just another fool who wants to be noted for something(anything) and is willing to use civil rights and race-baiting and smearing to get attention.

Hey Foley: You are obviously unable to open your mouth without using race as a dull weapon. We all see that every day. Illegal alien is not a slur. But you are truely mindless. Call me uppity. I know what is coming next from you Foley: Call the millions of Hispanics who are against illegal immigration and use the term illegal alien ...."coconuts."

Kevin Foley

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April 27, 2012

Mr. Adams- Thanks for the advice but I'll continue to call out Mr. King and anyone else who pushes hate.

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